Kay Christopher (June 3, 1926 – June 18, 2012) was an American actress and model.

Early life and career

Christopher was born into a

middle-class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Co ...

family. Her father was a newspaper editor and her mother a librarian. She was educated at

New Rochelle High School New Rochelle High School (NRHS) is a public high school in New Rochelle, New York. It is part of the City School District of New Rochelle and is the city's sole public high school. Its student body represents 60 countries from around the world. ...

from which she graduated in 1944. Christopher was raised as a Methodist. She began her career as a pin-up model, and was so successful that she received the title of "Miss Photo Flash 1945". Following this success, she received a film contract with RKO Radio Pictures, and made her screen debut in the uncredited role of a bridesmaid to Laraine Day in ''

The Locket The Locket may refer to: *The Locket (1946 film) ''The Locket'' is a 1946 American psychological thriller with noirish undertones directed by John Brahm, starring Laraine Day, Brian Aherne, Robert Mitchum, and Gene Raymond, and released by ...

'' (1946). She then had the lead role of Tess Trueheart in ''

Dick Tracy's Dilemma ''Dick Tracy's Dilemma'', released in the United Kingdom as ''Mark of the Claw'', is a 1947 American action film based on the 1930s comic-strip character of the same name created by Chester Gould. Ralph Byrd stars as Dick Tracy, reprising the ...

'' (1947), opposite

Ralph Byrd Ralph Byrd (April 22, 1909 – August 18, 1952) was an American actor. He was most famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, films and television. Early life and career The son of George and Edna May ...

. She later had turns in such motion pictures as '' Desperate'' (1947), '' I Cheated the Law'' (1949), ''

If You Knew Susie "If You Knew Susie" is the title of a popular song written by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Meyer. It was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. in 1925. In the largely comic song, a man sings that he knows a certain woman named Susie to be much wilde ...

'' (1949), '' Code of the Silver Sage'' (1950), and '' Gasoline Alley'' (1951). She also made TV appearances on such programs as ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' and had a recurring role on '' Doctor I.Q.'' in the mid-1950s. She retired from acting and modeling in 1954, to focus on her marriage to Donald Griffin, although she did come out of retirement once in 1958 for an appearance on ''

The Perry Como Show Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

''. A Democrat, she supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.''Motion Picture and Television Magazine'', November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers

Death

In the mid-1970s, she was diagnosed with diabetes, and died from complications of the disease on June 18, 2012. She was interred at

Williamsburg Memorial Park Williamsburg Memorial Park is a 41-acre, non-profit, multi-denominational cemetery located at 130 King William Drive in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1962 and built on the historic plantation of Benjamin Stoddert ...

in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Selected filmography

* '' Gasoline Alley'' (1951) * '' Corky of Gasoline Alley'' (1951)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Christopher, Kay 1926 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New Rochelle, New York Female models from New York (state) American film actresses American television actresses Burials in Virginia Deaths from diabetes Methodists from New York (state) New York (state) Democrats Virginia Democrats California Democrats New Rochelle High School alumni